Timer



Jul 13 ,1926.

H. w. YOUNG TIMER Filed Sept. 21,1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT r ATT RNEYS July- 13 1926.

H. w. YOUNG TIMER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 192:5

INVENTOR.

- W ATTORNEY-5.

July 13, 1926.

H. w. YOUNG" TIMER Filed Sept. 21, 1923 a Sheets-Sheet 5 I N V EN TOR.

W/f/ ATTORNEYS,

Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; j

HARRY W. YOUNG, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

TIMEB.

Application filed September 21, 1923.

This invention relates to improvements in timers.

It is the object of this invention to provide a novel, simple and improved timer mechanism which can be constructed at small expense and can be provided with an antifrietion support for its traveling contact member more cheaply than any other timer of which I have knowledge. 7

Timing devices or commutators for controlling the ignition circuits of internal com bustion engines commonly include a shell provided with a plurality of stationary con tacts and a traveling contact member arranged for movement with respect to saidv shell in operative relation to the stationary contacts. The arrangement is usually such that a spring or springs press the movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact in order to ensure the main tenance of these parts in operative relation for current transmission. In addition to the springs, it is quite generally customary to provide pivotal mountings for the movable contacts so arranged as to permit the springs to act upon such contacts to press them in the direction of the stationary contacts. The present invention contemplates an improved support for the movable contact whereby the movable contact is wholly supported by the spring which impels it in the direction of the stationary contact. In such a mounting it is very desirable that the movable contact be prevented from angular movement with respect to its actuating member. Consequently, it is a further object of this invention to provide a resilient support for a movable contact which will not be angularly yieldable.

In the drawings: 7

Figure l is an axial sectional view through a device embodying this invention and exemplifying a preferred construction thereof.

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the interior of the timer shell showing a fiber raceway and electric contacts imbedded therein.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 and illustrating the movable contact disposed operatively within the shell.

Figure 4 is a detail section taken on line 44 of F igure 3 and illustrating on an enlarged scale a modified construction for the spring and spring support shown in Figure3. 11 I, F gure view 's'iin letto F gure 1 i1:

Serial N 0. 663,984.

lustrating a modified support for the movable timer contact.

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 9. t

Figure 7 is a of the stationary contact bolts.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the contact bolt illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 9 is an external elevation of the timer shell.

Figure 10 is a view, in partial section, of a further modified timer construction illustrating a slightly different brush from that shown in Figures 1 and and illustrating a modified shell.

Figure 11 is front elevation of the shell illustrated in Figure with portions broken away to expose the interior.

Figure 12 is a detail view, in front elevation, of the brush mechanism shown in Figure 10.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the brush mechanism shown in Figures 10 and 12.

Like parts are identified by the same refer ence characters throughout the several views.

A distributor shaft 10 of the usual type has a threaded end portion upon which the retaining nut 11 is receivable to secure upon the shaft the sleeve 12 which supports the brush mechanism in the usual manner. The

' sleeve is keyed to the shaft by means of a pin 13 carried by a cap 13 by nut 11.

In the present device, at its inner end with a radially projecting car 14 to which a resilient support for the movable contact is connected. This support will preferably take the form of a resilient member or spring 15 of substantially oval contour and including an aperture 16 in an intermediate portion adapted to receive the sleeve 12. Before the spring is hardened, a portion thereof may be bent, as indicated at 17, to support a rolling contactor device hereinafter to be described.

The means whereby the spring is secured upon sleeve 12 is preferably simple. One or more rivets 18 passed through a portion of the spring and through the ear 14 will ordinarily serve to aiford a rigid connection and held in place sleeve 12 is provided between these parts. The arrangement is such that the free end of the spring (including the reversely bent portion 17) will be axially movable and the aperture 16 in the spring will be sufiqiently large to permit the spring to move without friction upon sleeve 12 In the event that further rrity in the positioning of the spring with reference to sleeve 12 is desired, the min oer t rivets 1.8 may be multiplied or else the spring may be formed with an inte -.l rib it), as illustrated in Figure 1 which i a.) 11121;" be receivable into a suitable recess 20 in car 14-. It the construction illustrated in Figure l is adopted, the spring will, in eticct, be. keyed to ear l-it against argular niovenint client the axis of rivet 18.

Carried by tl'r. rcversely bent portion 17 of spring 15 is a bolt 22 upon which are mounted the complementary cones 2S and ill which, together, comprise the inner race tor the aiitiiriction balls llolt threaded to receive a nut 26 by means ()l which cones 24 and may be securely clamped together and fastened to the portion 17 of spring 15. The contact proper com-- prises a spherically surtaccd roller 9. 7 of annular tor-in having an internal groove 28 providing an outer race tor balls Thus, the roller 27 is connectel through anti-"triction means with a resilient support 15.

The timer shell is designated in its entirety by reference character 30. It inc ludcs an annulus 31 and a, liber plate or disk for the support ot the relative y tii-Lcd contacts. .t.\llll'll1ll$ 31 will. preferably be "formed from sheet metal, A s: oit such inctal will he subjected to a prelii'niuai v stan'iping operation to form the shoulder 33. The slniuldered strip will then be bent to annular form as indicated in the drawings, its ends being joined at Ill; by means of the tittiugr 35 which may be secured to each ot' the ends of the strip by means oi" rivets f-lfl. it will be understood that the contacts can ricd by the she are only relatively stationary. the shell being; rotatable adjustable upon axis through the medium of a suitable control connected with t] 'e sleeve portion 3"! of hitting 2313'.

it will be further tiiuer shell 30 is car icd by a relatively part of the engine in a mounting: permit of its rotativ adjustment 1S nil'ioresa d mounting of such shells and the urea vided for heir rotative adjustment are common to require further englanation here.

The annulus ll having; been .tr crabl, from. a strip oil to provide shoulder 33, the .-v

unlerstood that the ed utz tured tiber disk 32 is now inserte 'i 1 end. (it annulus ill. to a seat abutting the an nular' shoulder 00 rl'iercot. The outer untrgin of the annulus is next: upset rnd ally in wardly as shown at all to retain d permanently in place. The di .i may be providedwith a central openin of Flllll" cient size to aftord cleara out 11 upon the commutator slla In suitable apertures the dielcitric d' A 32 are preterzlliily disposed stationary cont-act nien'ibers each of which prete ably c-on'iprises a bolt having: a. threaded shank l6 an frusto conically tapered head l? and one or more radially extending wings 48 adapted to be imbedded in the material of the dielectric disk to secure the contact bolt s5 against rotation. hen the contact devices have been properly positioned within the dielectric disk at equally spaced angular disancos about the circiun'terence oil a con'in'ion circle, each of the shank portions 46 of devices 4-?) may be provided with a knurled nut .ll) adapted to retain in operative contact with each shanklti and ordinary connecting device 50 at the end ot a suitably insulated eectric contact-or, here represented at 51. The nuts may also retain in place a cap preferably of dielectric material, which is provided with suitable apertures for the shanks to of Contact devices t5 and is so formed as to provide a closure for the opening; 42 in disk 32.

The interior surface 01 disk 32 will be so finished as to leave said disk and the heads 46. of contact devices in a common plane, thereby providing a ac-eway tor the rolling contactor 27. It will be obvious that as the shaft rotates the rolling contaotor 27 will be carried therewith about the race provided on the verti'al surface of dielectric disk 32. At properly spaced intervals in the course of such rotation, the rolling contactor 2? will traverse each of the relatively lined contacts 45. thereby all-midin; conununication between the conductor terniinals 50 and. the ground which, for the purpose of this description, may be assumed to be the shat't 10. Inasmuch. as the spherically surfaced rolling contaetor i l? will only have point contact with the race at any given time, it will be obvious that the pressure of the spring support will. be coulined to a conuiaratively very small area and a coniiparatively light spring will thereby serve to maintain the rolling contactor in ope ative position upon the race.

The embodiment of this invention whicn is ill rated in Figu e fl is similar in all respects to the device alrea icri'hcd with the exccptimi that a different type ol sup port is provided. or the rolling contact Figure 5 construction the r u i it support comprises a coiled spring, prelerabl -i a helical. spiral spring. The *lceve 152" has no ear 141, but in lieu thereof: 3 pr vided with an aperture at so into which a radia ly bent end: portion of spring is inserted. also bent to a substantially radial]. position and is threaded to receive a nut 26 corresponding to the nut 26 used upon bolt which, in: the embodimentrmde: dismssion,

at spaced points in The tree end 57 of spring; is

is replaced by the spring portion 57. A suitable washer 58 upon the spring serves as a backing against which inner race members ..3 and 24: may be tightened throrgh the medium of nut 26.

The operation of the device shown in Figure 5 corresponds substantiall v with that already described, with more particular reference to the Figure 1 construction. Spring is under axial compression and forces the rolling contactor 27 into point contact with the race provided upon the vertical inner face of the dielectric plate 82. 011 said race, the cont-actor 27 traverses successively the several stationary contact de vices 45, thereby affording communication successively between such devices and shaft 10. which is here assumed to be grounded inthe usual manner.

Either of the devices herein disclose-d may serve as an operative commutator. Timing may be accomplished more accurately, however, with the device shown in Figure 1 than with the device shown in Figure 5, for the reason that the spring 55, when subjected to the momentum efi'ects developed during commutator action, may yield resiliently in a manner to permit of slight arcuate move ments of the rolling contactor 27 with respect to the shaft 10. Such movements are obviously impossible where the flat spring 15 is used, inasmuch as the portions thereof are each flat and have considerable transverse eXtent and are also widely spaced apart whereby to resist strongly any tencency for the traveling contactor 27 to move arcuately independently of the shaft 10.

A further modification incidentally illustrated in Figure 5 may comprise a housing arranged to enclose knurled nuts 49 and provided with apertures through which threaded shanks 46 may be reached by the connectors 50. The housing 60 may be used with or without shaft 52.

The construction illustrated in Figures 10 to 13 differs but slightly from those already described, but is preferred because of its sturdiness and simplicity. The sleeve 12" is provided with diverging arms 62 and 63 to which the spring 65 is connected at its ends by means of rivets 66 or like securing means. The brush roller 27 may correspond in its mounting and general arrangement to that disclosed in Figure 1 and need not be further described except that it will be noted that spring 65 is bent intermediate its ends to provide an eye portion 67 within which stud 22 is received for the support of cones 23 and 24 upon which the ball bearing roller 27 is mounted.

Prior to the assembly of the structure, the spring 65 will be formed to take the position in which it is illustrated in Figure 13. When the timer is assembled, the. spring 65 is forced to a vertical p ane, including its riveted ends 66, and is thereby placed under compression tending to maintain it in contact with the race.

While the shell 30 differs slightly in form from the shell 30 heretofore described, its general construction is very similar. Cap 52, however, is preferably omitted and an ex= ternal cap 60 is fitted frictionally over the shell and is provided with a-single aperture 68 through'which the several conductors 69 leading to the fixed terminals of the timer are threaded.

In order to provide for adjusting the various timers herein disclosed for use in connection with a variety of different spark control levers, I preferably utilize the device best illustrated in Figure 11.

An upstanding ear 2 0 connected with the timer shell 30 is provided with a threaded aperture to receive a screw member 71 upon which I secure a block '72 having an aperture at 73 to receive connection with the timer adjusting linkage. A look nut 74 threaded upon screw 71 serves to tighten the screw in any desired position of rotative adjustment.

It will be understood that the linkage connecting the timer control lever with the timer shell 30 for its rotative adjustment, as aforesaid, will be attached to block 72 through a pin inserted in opening 73 in the usual manner. If the desired timing range cannot then be accurately secured, it is possible to adjust shell 30 with reference to the manually operated spark control lever by loosening the lock nut 74 and setting screw 71 inwardly or outwardly with respect to the supporting car 70, thereby the angular adjustment of shell 30 is changed.

The simplicity of the construction herein disclosed, the cheapness with which this type of timer can be manufactured, and the evident effectiveness with which it will he operated will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a timer brush, the combination with a sleeve affording spaced points of support, of a spring connected with said sleeve at IOU such points and bent intermediate its ends V to form an eye, a stud receivable in said eye,

and a brush roller journalled for rotation about said stud.

2. In a timer brush, the combination. with a sleeve affording spaced points of support, of a spring connected at its ends with the sleeve at such points and formed intermediate its ends to provide an eye, a bolt threaded through said eye, a device supported froi said bolt and providing a bearing race, a roller concentric with said device and pro viding a complementary race, and anti-friction means interposed between the races of the deviceand the roller.

3. In a timer brush construction, the oombination, .With a s eeve P Viding spa ed points of support, of a resilient wire con-- necred 21*; its ends with the sleeve at such points and bent intermediate its ends to form an eye, the normal pesition of. said Wire being inclined from 21- radial plane including such points a stud connected with said wire at said eye and. disposed at an angle r0111 said radial plane determined by the position of said wire, and a roller SHPpOlfll-fiil for rutation about said stud.

In testimony that l: claim the :iorcgoing i have hereunio set in hand at liiilwzml-ceu, in the county of Milwmikee and State of Wis consin.

HARRY 3. YOU Llii. 

